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Photo: Jonas D’Hollander / Belgian
The numbers can be daunting. With nearly 690, more people were admitted to hospitals for Covid-19 on Tuesday than the worst day in March to date. For the first time since the end of April, more than 100 deaths were recorded on Monday. The Conciliation Committee will meet again on Friday. And more and more people fear that extreme measures such as a general blockade at the national level can hardly be avoided.
How it could get back to such a bad situation is hotly debated. In addition to everything that needs to be improved in terms of testing, monitoring and implementation of measures. However, there is one thing everyone agrees on: only when there is a generally available and effective vaccine can you return to a life as it was before the crisis. At least more or less.
Countries and companies around the world are feverishly working to develop such a vaccine. The corresponding pressure is enormous, as are the resources used. But when will it finally be ready to be vaccinated? Unfortunately, it’s hard to say for sure. After all, developing a vaccine candidate is not enough. It must also be as safe as possible, that is, not only protect it well, but also have no side effects. And the tests that must ensure this take time. And you never know what problems might arise.
Based on the information currently available, one can be relatively optimistic that a vaccine will be available from next spring, Xavier De Cuyper, head of the Federal Agency for Medicines and Health Products (AFMPS), told RTBF on Wednesday morning. Although he doesn’t want to place any bets, he thinks a vaccine will be available in Belgium starting in April 2021.
How it will look in detail or who will produce it where, at the moment little can be said. The member states of the European Union and the European Commission work together to ensure that there is no competition between them. And you’ve signed contracts with various companies. Due to the many unknowns that exist in vaccine development, we rely on a whole range of possible substances. Simply because you can’t be sure until all clinical trials have been completed. But he is confident there will be a good candidate, De Cuyper said.
In Belgium, in particular, there is a great deal of experience in the field of vaccine research. In addition to vaccines, which should already be available next year, work is also being done on a vaccine that could then offer protection for life.
Unlike the other candidate vaccines currently being tested. Like the flu shot, they should be used once a season. The development of the permanent vaccine will last, if successful, at least until 2022, De Cuyper stressed. And even if you are ultimately optimistic, you must always be careful.
Caution is also the key word that many people will think of first when they think of any coronavirus vaccine. After all, we are talking about a new remedy. Xavier De Cuyper pointed out, however, that vaccines basically have to go through all the necessary steps before they can be approved. You will not compromise here just because you are under pressure. It ensures that the analyzes and evaluations will not be less rigorous.
There are also independent safety and control mechanisms in clinical trials because a risk can never be completely excluded. But one thing must always be kept in mind: even though the virulence of a pathogen can be reduced by other drugs, a vaccine that gives the body immunity is always the best answer, says De Cuyper.
Boris Schmidt
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